DEAR DR. ROACH: I am sensitive to blood pressure machines. Whether on my wrist, arm or leg, they hurt, and my blood pressure goes up. This has resulted recently in a dentist not wishing to extract a tooth because her machine measured my pressure at 190/98. A few years ago, prior to minor surgery, the machine got a similar result. They tried to inject me with something to bring it down, and it went down alarmingly low. During visits to my primary-care physician, my pressure is consistently around 138/82. An old-fashioned cuff is used, and is gently and ...

DEAR DIDI: I have had the Standard Poodle breed for 25+ years. Two of my three are UKC GRCH and they all have their AKC CGC's. When I purchased my property 10 years ago I had the back yard fenced with 6' high fencing. Not to keep my SPs in BUT other dogs out. Now my neighbors two grown children bring their dogs to run daily in their parent's non fenced in yard. One dog is aggressive & wants to fence fight! The other just runs on the outside of my fences barking and has caused my dogs to ...

Is there such a thing as being too politically correct in San Francisco? Yes - but a public official has to overreach drastically to hit that mark. Everett Middle School principal Lena Van Haren did just that when she chose to withhold the results of her school's Oct. 9 student council election because students had elected too many white kids. "It's not OK for a school that is really, really diverse to have the student representatives majority white," Van Haren told the San Francisco Chronicle's Jill Tucker as her decision made national news. On Monday, Van Haren finally ...

Many Americans are stocking up on treats for neighborhood children in scary costumes, but you may want to think twice before opening the door to strangers this Halloween. That same weekend, from October 30 to November 2, the Obama administration plans to release 6,000 felons from federal prison.

Both proponents and opponents of San Francisco's "Airbnb measure" -Proposition F - see the November ballot initiative as a David vs. Goliath contest. Both sides also see themselves as David. And both sides have a point.

Secretary of Homeland Security Jeh Johnson, speaking in San Francisco, a town infamous for its sanctuary city policies, said last month that sanctuary city rules are "not acceptable" and "counterproductive." Where, then, does Johnson stand on the Stop Sanctuary Policies and Protect Americans Act, introduced by Sen. David Vitter, R-La., to withhold some federal grants from sanctuary cities?

DEAR DR. ROACH: I learned from the American Heart Association's website that when exercising, one should stay between 50 percent and 85 percent of his or her maximum heart rate. But my cardiologist just shrugged off this warning and said that as long as one is not out of breath, he or she doesn't have to worry about this "less than 85 percent" formula. It also intrigues me that sometimes we see people in their 70s or even 80s running marathon races. In that case these "reckless people" certainly will exceed their 85 percent MHR. Doesn't that ...

DEAR DR. ROACH: For the 2015-2016 flu season, we find a trivalent vaccine (three influenza virus), quadrivalent vaccine (four influenza virus) and high-dose trivalent recommended for seniors 65 and older. As a member of the senior group, I would like your opinion on the best choice. Why do they still supply the trivalent when the quad protects against four flu viruses? The high-dose trivalent is only for seniors, but the quad seems to be a better choice. This is confusing; please help us understand. -- J.H.